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Cornerback Charles Godfrey of Iowa answered a number of question during his session with the media at the NFL Combine. Godfrey may not be viewed by some as one of the top corners in this draft, but he could be one of those players who prove the experts wrong. What are your strengths? My style of play is very physical. If I was to describe me as a player, I’m very good at man-to-man technique. I can play all coverages, Cover 3, Cover 2. It doesn’t matter what coverage it is, I’m good at everything. I love to tackle. I love to come up and support the run. Pretty much the total package. Anything you need to improve in? What I think I need to improve on is knowing that going to the next level that any false step or any small different adjustment that you miss can hurt you because guys are faster at the next level and they take advantage of the mistakes you make, so you have to be very sound in your technique. Would you rather play a man defense? Any kind of defense, but I do like to play man to man defense better. On possibly playing for the Giants I would love to go out there and play with those guys. I like the defensive scheme they play. They got a lot of nickel; they use a nickel back. I feel like I can go in and help those guys. Highlight of your career? The highlight of my career I would say is this season. This whole season. I played consistent. I had a great year, a great senior year, the way that you want to finish out on your senior year. So I would say my senior year was the highlight of my career. Ever think of coming out early? No. I’m glad I didn’t. You’re from Baytown; how would it be going to Texans? I would go home and play for the Texans. It’s right at home. They have a team that’s really on the rise and has a great scheme and has something in store for them in the future. I would love and go and help them. What would you bring to them? A consistent player, you know, a guy that’s going to go out there and do his best. I can play any coverage from Cover 2, Cover 1 to Cover 3 scheme. I come up and I’m going to support the run and just be physical. You've talked to the Texans? It wasn’t a surprise. They talked to me, got some information from me, told me that they were interested and they were going on looking at me and they were looking forward to seeing me perform here at the combine. How did you get out of Texas? I had schools in Texas that recruited me. I took my visits. I liked Iowa and I liked the coaching staff there. It kind of drew me over there. I felt when I took the visit there that was the home for me. So I had to go with my heart. You mentioned playing whatever coverage I have a strength, man to man. Cover 2 also, because I’m able to put my hands on a
receiver. Cover 3 you’re kind of playing off and you’re playing a deep zone so
you really don’t have no control of re-routing the receiver, so I would say
man and Cover 2. Now in the NFL, shutdown corner is not so much man to man, it’s the guys that’s not getting as many balls caught on them because now besides the Green Bay Packers, they’re running man to man every snap. But you don’t find too many teams in the NFL now that just run it straight man. All the run is man. You have to be a guy that is versatile that can play more than one coverage and also can come up and support the run and tackle nowdays. Because if you’re a corner, and you can’t tackle in the NFL, you’ve got these big running backs, if you can’t bring them down, you’re going to be in trouble. Who do you pattern your game after? Al Harris. What kind of style dp you play? A physical player, man, determined to make plays. When you watch that guy play, he’s passionate about it. He knows his self. He knows his weaknesses and he knows his strengths. He goes out there and he’s going to be physical with you every play. He’s going to get in your face, put his hands on you and try to abuse you every play and that’s my style. On Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz Coach Ferentz was a great coach. He’s part of the reason why I went to Iowa. He’s an open coach for not just football, but also off the field. I can bring anything to the table with Coach Ferentz and he’ll be willing to work with me and help me out with any decision. But as far as football, he’s there. When I’m at practice, I’m going through drills. He’s over there, well you need to do this; you need to do that. So Iowa coaches are very much hands on, so you know they’re just as interested in you getting better as they are. How do you react to failure because rookie DBs get beat? I wouldn’t say I react to failure. I don’t like failure. I don’t know too many guys who do like failure. I don’t like failure, but I know as a corner I will get beat every once in a while and I know how to go and how to adapt and how to adjust and how to bounce back from it. But I can’t say that I adapt well to failure because I don’t. What NFL team do you root for? That’s the Texans of Houston. That’s our NFL team. On being ready for the Combine I’ve learned from the Senior Bowl. I learned a lot of stuff. Obviously I was coached by a lot of NFL coaches, so I’ve got some of the things that they’re looking for at the Senior Bowl. They way they want their DBs to do things, so you kind of have to transform that to here, because that’s what they want to see and that’s what all the other DB coaches want to see. Also, on the competitive side, you’re competing with the top receivers in the country. That’s good to know you can go and be on the same
level as them, that’s an honor. Does it bother you that people say you play in a conference with not much speed? It don’t bother me, because I’ve played in it. I know that there’s speed in the Big 10. Here, I know we’ll show that there’s speed in the Big 10. It doesn’t bother me at all.
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